We're back! And with something extra special. In February of this year we took 11 rising stars from water utilities in the Global Water Leaders Group to visit colleagues in East Asia and Australia, and discover how they are addressing the challenges of today and tomorrow.

In this miniseries, recorded at the Global Water Summit 2025, Tallulah interviews our future water leaders about the experiences and innovations they found most inspiring.

We kick off in Hong Kong, where the Water Supplies Department and Drainage Services Department showed us some of the innovations they're most proud of. Tune in to hear how innovative doesn't have to mean complicated, how to employ fish, and why Hong Kong's toilet water is salty.

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.

BONUS EPISODE

Just in time for Christmas, we're bringing you a special episode on GWI's 2024 Global Water Tariff Survey, a comprehensive look at how much utilities charge their customers around the world.

Tallulah starts by talking to Carlos Cosín⁠, CEO of Almar Water Solutions (this year's Tariff Survey partners), about why the survey suggests that water is still critically undervalued around the world.

Next, Tallulah goes to Las Vegas and Ottawa to speak to utilities about the tariff tools they use to address critical water challenges in their areas.

If you thought this might be a bit dry, think again! Expect astonishing numbers, drones and trying to get a member of the Sultan of Brunei's family to turn off his sprinklers.

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.

It's no secret that the global water sector faces huge challenges. Some of those are legacy challenges, such as ageing infrastructure, whilst climate change has created a new set of fresh challenges. All of them require investment.

In this episode Great Lakes Water Authority CEO discusses what she and her company are doing to both bring water further up the policymakers' agenda and bring greater awareness of water to her customers.

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.

Water reuse may well be the future of water. Certainly that's the way John Kennedy, General Manager of Orange County Water District, sees it.

Since 2008, Orange County has been at the forefront of water reuse in the US with its Groundwater Replenishment System, the largest of its kind in the world.

In this episode, John tells Tallulah how the system works, what its limitations are and why Orange County is the perfect location for pioneering this technology of the future.

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.

The second episode of this series which was recorded at Singapore International Water Week is another with a leading woman in Australian water - Maree Lang, Managing Director of Greater Western Water.

As Australia continues to rethink its relationship with its First Nation people, one area that naturally lends itself to deeper understanding is water. First Nation peoples were, afterall, the original stewards of water in Australia.

Maree tells Tallulah about her utility is helping to forge stronger bonds with the community, as well as the areas in which there is still progress to be made. They then dive into workforce diversity and bushfires.

If you like the pod, please give us a rating!

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered accesss to water's leading voices.

Rohit "Rit" Aggarwala kicks off this episode with some bad news for New Yorkers but if there's anyone out there who can deliver it to them, it's him. Because although technically a utility leader as the man responsible for delivering water to 9 million of them, Rohit Aggarwala is so much more besides.

As Commissioner to New York City's Department of Environmental Protection, his role extends to being responsible for the whole city's climate plan. Listen now to find out what it's like to be responsible for the whole water cycle in the world's most iconic city.

Plus there's discussion of how New York is now technically a sub-tropical city, the role that plumbers can play and the ways in which satellite imagery could help with fairer bills.

The water leaders pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.

Where does our body heat go? Well at least some of it ends up down the drains that connect our homes to sewage networks, along with the heat from showers, washing machines and other household items. And that makes wastewater a potential resource.

This week on the pod we’re getting technical with Christoph Donner, CEO of Berliner Wasserbetriebe, as we delve into the science and regulations behind Berlin’s push to use wastewater to heat homes and businesses, including Ikea.

We also discuss the other good stuff that can be extracted from your sewage and the challenges that come with supplying water to a thriving metropolis.

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.

We're back to the standard format for a great interview with Unitywater's Anna Jackson, the first of two episodes recorded at Singapore International Water Week.

Anna can reasonably claim she manages the water for one of the world's most beautiful areas - Australia's Sunshine Coast. Naturally this does come with its own challenges, notably population growth and the fluctuations associated with tourism.

Listen now to find out how she's planning for the future, including the 2032 Olympics, whilst adapting to the realities of the present.

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.